Enhancing institutional capacity in water and waste water treatment

Sector

Water

Budget

The maximum budget for this project is € 1.3 million.

Organisations

This project has been developed by the Tshwane University of Technology. The tender for this project expired on 26 April 2010. Nuffic has awarded this tender to IHE Delft, which has formed a consortium with TU Delft, NHL, Stichting Wateropleidingen and World Waternet.

Project description

Access to basic water services is widely regarded as the most fundamental of all human rights. In recognition of this fundamental human right, access to basic water services is entrenched in the country's constitution.

There are two dimensions to this constitutional obligation: the promotion of universal access to water services and the provision of safe drinking water.

The first dimension focuses on the eradication of infrastructure backlogs within the water sector. Although substantial progress is being made, the provision of safe drinking water to the population remains a key challenge. The root causes of the problems in the water treatment sector are mainly caused by a lack of qualified staff.

The project should enhance the capacity within the Tshwane University of Technology to deliver on educational initiatives in the field of water and waste water treatment. More specifically, the project should:

• develop the institutional capacity to craft, revise and implement qualifications for the water sector, which can tackle the challenges and take into account the changing technological and regulatory landscape;
• ensure that new learning programmes will be relevant and targeted to attract school leavers to the water sector and allow existing personnel to improve their skills and competencies;
• strengthen the quality of regulation in the water sector and improve compliance by developing courses that give managers and regulators of water service authorities and government departments the required technical and legal expertise;
• enhance the capacity of staff within the Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences to deliver on the revised and new qualifications.

Beneficiaries

• Students and staff of the Water Care Unit of the Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences
• Regulatory staff of the Department of Water Affairs